Exhaust leak at the manifold.
Broken interior door handle. Bought one on eBay for $30.
Hatch supports shot.
Cylinder #2 bad when I got it. Cylinders #1 and #3 have 150 pounds compression, but #2 only has 118 pounds. I'm told a dirty or clogged EGR valve is the cause. A lot of Metros have uneven compression.
Heater core shot.
Have to slightly depress the gas pedal or it won't start. Once it starts I have to keep the pedal slightly depressed or it will stall. If the car sits for a couple of months it's very hard to start.
Squealing belt when cold. Broke an alterntor belt a few months ago.
Despite the above problems I love the mileage. I see other people posting mileage as high as 54 miles per gallon. In straight city driving conditions I get 35 miles per gallon. On the open road going 45 miles per hour I've never got anything less than 60 miles per gallon.
I own a second '94 Metro 3 cylinder manual with 64,000 miles on it and I got 70.5 miles per gallon on one leg of the trip I made out west. That car averages 66 miles per gallon at 45 miles per hour. The trick is to try to stay at 45 miles per hour which is hard to do if you want to make time.
There is a lot of road noise and the integrity of the parts, like door handles, knobs, plastic parts etc., is poor.
At 6'2" and 220 lbs I have no problem with head height or leg room.
It is kinda silly to purchase a car used with over 100,000 miles on it, then complain of any of its mechanical troubles. Given the cars age and mileage when purchased I find it great that it still gets so good economy! What a great car the Geo Metro must be! It's a pity Chevy killed it. I will be looking for a Metro, now for my second car.
I have a 1995 geo metro lsi 4cyl 1.3l eng and had a friend of mine putting a new water pump in it and he messed up the timing. Then we moved the timing twice, but now it won't turn over. what would be the problem?
My "94 Geo Metro at 101600 miles, still flies. Since 7/3/94 I've used 2 sets of tires, 1 battery (my fault) 1 set of brakes at 96000, with oil changes every 3000 miles.
This past year my alternator belt, after years of squealing on start-up, decided to break, 6 months later it broke again, 2 months later broke again, so I replaced the alternator as advised. I still have squealing and black rubber fluff sticking to the alternator. Whats wrong.
I get 48MPG at 65-70MPH. I Love the car, I'm 62 and my Grandchildren hope to inherit this one.
I recently bought a 91 Pontiac Firefly, and it's got a 3 cyl, 1.0L engine.
Really.., this thing is almost as efficient as a 2005 Toyota Prius Hybrid! I just drove my car from Vancouver, BC to Whistler and back, up and down huge freaking mountains, etc. it's 163miles and I only burned 3.13 US gallons/ or 12 litres. 52mpg (US) or 4.54L/100km.
I bought my 1994 Geo Metro about 6 months ago at 56000KM. I had my passenger side ball-joint give out which gave me some unwanted rattling noises, but I fixed it myself easily (it's a very easy car to work on) and I have had no problems at all. I love the economy of the car, to get to work and back in my 2004 Pontiac Montana cost me about $8 (canadian) and now in my Geo it is only about $3. I recommend this car to anyone who likes to save money.
My comment echos those above. I have a 94 with 137,000 miles and it starts every time first time, the engine purrs like a contented kitten, and the gas mileage is unbelievable. However, like a couple of the above owners, this last year, on a cold start, the alternator belt squeals and the I get the "fluff" mentioned above from the abrasion on the belt and my belt broke twice in a year. I changed the alternator, water pump and pulley and none of the changes fixed the problem. I put a small washer in the alternator mounting bracket to align the alternator better and the belt hasn't broken since, but I still get a little squealing on a cold start. Other than that, this car is a marvel of engineering and it just keeps running with no problems.
I am now driving my second '94 Geo Metro. My first one was flattened by a fallen tree during an ice storm. My current Metro has only 73,000 miles and just this week I had it in the shop for a squeaking belt. They put a washer on the alternator to have it align with the belt. My Metro has AC and an automatic transmission. If I drive it hard I only get about 32 mpg. More conservative driving rewards me with 43-45 mpg. I would have no qualms about taking this car cross-country. It is perfect basic transportation. My plan is to keep this car as long as it runs.
I am the proud owner of a 1994 Geo Metro hatchback. It has almost 108,000 miles on it and still gets great mileage. but... last year the alternator belt (as mentioned in previous comments) started squealing and wearing down, and then it eventually broke. I am on my sixth belt this year and I am at my wits end. I read the one users comment about adding a washer to the alternator mount... has anyone else tried this and if so has it worked? Or does anyone have any other suggestions?
I've been having the same problem as mentioned before about the alternator belts on both of my Metros. On my beater I tightened to belt so tight using a crowbar that I killed the water pump bearings and still this bugger squeals. On my other metro it's a 5 speed the belt will stop squealing after a min while idling then when I put it in gear it sqeels again. Take it out of gear and it stops. Once the engine warms up or I get it to 5th gear above 45 mph it will stop too. How can the engine being in gear have anything to do with it squealing?
This is my 2nd 1 litre metro. my last one got up to 200,000 miles and the doors fell off so I replaced it. I replaced the map sensor, alternator, inner tie rod and A arm, fuel tank, cam seal, rad, timing belt (3x) and oxygen sensor apart from usual maintenance items. I drove it for 12 years.
My current metro has 125,000 miles. it's a 94 1 litre Geo Metro (5spd) that hasn't passed a pollution test due to high no gas. I removed the EGR valve and it functions. If I hook up the vacuum line directly to it and skip the EGR module, it works at high RPMS as it should. The EGR module seems to function (hold a vacuum when air is blown in the bottom). Very little exhaust pressure comes into the bottom of the EGR module even at high RPMS! These are great cars and easy to fix (I think) although the parts are expensive. I do almost all of my own work. Any remarks!
2-13-07.
I own a 1994 Geo Metro has 119,000 miles. I live in the OC so the weather is fair. I have had to replace the alternator bracket and the alternator it self. When the first alternator died I got a used one from Pick your part in HB it worked for a couple of weeks, but died,
after a few weeks. Now when I replaced it I noticed that the bolt without the hex head
just slides no screw in the other side tightens with a socket set. Has anyone else experienced this?
I have acquired a broken 94 Geo metro it needs a new motor its has been ran into the ground by my dad and older sister. I am hoping to take it to school in the summer, but I need to find a motor and cheap! If anyone knows where to find one please contact me at black8cat9@yahoo.com.
I own a 1994 Geo Metro. I haven't had major problems and I know nothing about cars, what I do know is that I love this little hot rod. It is not expensive to drive and except for blizzard weather and slushy streets where anybody can get stuck (I'm in SD) I can't complain. What I am wondering is if anyone has had problems with the fuel pump, and if you can tell me what the whole deal about alternators is and how you can notice that. Thanks!
A 1994 Geo Metro is a great car. I've been driving this car for about 17 years. It is the same engine with 203034.7 miles on it. The only problem with this car is that the Head is not doing so good. I have to put antifreeze in the car about every 20-40 miles. Other than that the car is great!!! Who ever wants a Geo Metro, they should get one. If I were to get another one I would bid money on it so I could take it home. Good luck with your Geo metro if you have one!!!
I have replaced the alternator and the belt. Pep boys belt
frayed and broke than put a new auto zone belt on very good
so far. Squeels in the start up, but then stop after half mile.
Maybe I can try the washer.